Biography Of
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MEMBERS POLISH-AMERICAN-PERUVIAN SCIENTIFIC EXPEDITION COLCA-CONDOR 2009 EXPEDITION LEADER Jerzy "YUREK" MAJCHERCZYK FR’92 (57) P/E/S Responsibility: Yurek, as expedition leader, will be responsible for the logistics of the entire expedition as well as hydrographical and topographical studies. Biography: Known to many as Yurek, he is a kayaker and an explorer, travel agent and a reporter, organizer of numerous expeditions to the farthest corners of South America. He is a Fellow of the prestigious The Explorers Club in New York City. He is the founder and President of the Polish-American Travelers Club and founder of the Polish Chapter of The Explorers Club in Warsaw (1993). He authored, co-authored, and was featured in nearly 500 newspaper articles in Poland, Peru and the United States. Yurek organized the CANOANDES'79 Expedition, considered to be one of the longest expeditions in the 20th-Century. He was a raft captain of the Polish team, who in 1981, made a historical discovery of the Colca Canyon. The latter resulted in the publication of a book entitled "In Kayak through Peru". In 1994, he was elected as one of the 20 Legends of Paddling by the PADDLER magazine and in January 2000, the American Canoe Association selected Yurek amongst the 100 BEST PADDLERS of the 20th Century. His book “The CONQUEST OF RIO COLCA – The World’s Deepest Canyon” was first published in Warsaw, Poland in 1998. This book was first translated and published in Braille and two years later an English version with a detailed full color map was published in Arequipa, Peru. Yurek has spent his life traveling to and promoting the Colca Canyon and Peru. [ ] TEAM KAYAKER & CLIMBER – Thomas CHAMBERLAIN (46) E Responsibility: Tom, being an extremely experienced kayaker and climber, will be kayaking and climbing during the expedition, reading the river and warning us of what is ahead. If needed, he will set up ropes and lines along rock walls if no passages are present. Biography: Thomas is an avid outdoors enthusiast and adventure seeker from Montrose Colorado, USA. Tom has traveled the state, country and world, seeking out his favorite outdoor activities including: White Water Kayaking, Rock Climbing, Ice Climbing, Canyoneering, Mountain Biking, Alpine Skiing, Scuba Diving and Photography. Tom’s other interests include: music (drums, guitar & piano), science and writing. In 2000 Tom participated in a kayaking expedition through the deepest part of the Colca Canyon. Tom was raised in the small town of Montrose Colorado, centrally located among spectacular mountains, rivers, canyons, cliffs and deserts. He is a licensed Architect and practices out of his home-office. Tom considers himself to be very lucky and very happy. [] EXPEDITION GEOLOGIST – Prof. Marek Pozzi (56) P/E/F/R Responsibility: Marek will be in charge of geological, hydro-geological measurements and will focus on describing what kind of geological formations are in the canyon. Colca Condor 2008. Biography: Marek Pozzi D.Sc.,PhD., is a professor at the Silesian University of Technology, where he has been a part of the Mining and Geology faculty for over 30 years. Currently he heads the department of environmental geology, hydrogeology and water management in the Institute of Applied Geology. Marek lends his skills as an expert consultant in environmental impact assessments, developing programs for studies in the environmental area, and in providing authorization in the Polish geological branch. He participated in the trekking expedition to the Colca Canyon bottom in 2006. [ ] EXPEDITION ENGINEER – Paul MAJCHERCZYK SM’08 (23) E/P Responsibility: Paul will be responsible for collecting and recording data pertaining to conditions of the Canyon and the river. Equipment will include a laser range finder, compass, inclinometer, and GPS devices. Measurements will include the bottom width of the canyon, height of canyon, inclination, river conditions (speed, depth, width, class), as well as coordinate locations and descriptions of all points of interest (caves, waterfalls, hot springs, etc). Colca Condor 2008. Biography: Paul Majcherczyk received his B.E. in Electrical Engineering from the Cooper Union in NYC and is currently a student member of the Explorers Club. Paul has had the opportunity to travel to many countries throughout the Americas and Europe, giving him valuable knowledge of other cultures and lifestyles, as well as developing a drive for exploration. Paul's interests include travel, music, technology, scuba diving, mountain climbing and various outdoor activities. [ ] COLCA CONDOR 2009 EXPEDITION MEMBERS - 2 – MAIN CAMERAMAN – Grzegorz GAJ (44) P/E Responsibility: Grzesiek will be the primary cameraman of the expedition and will also be taking photographs. Colca Condor 2008. Biografia: Grzesiek has always been fond of traveling and taking part in extreme expeditions. He is a director for television programs and a professional photographer. Very often he finds himself taking part in extreme sports, such as paragliding, scuba diving, motorcycling, and rafting. He is a natural traveler and has been a member of many exploring expeditions, both sport-driven and scientific.[ ] EXPEDITION MEDIC – Peter MAJCHERCZYK SM’08 (21) E/P Responsibility: Peter will be held responsible for the health of each member. His job includes providing any type of first aid necessary. This first aid may include dealing with external pain, such as cuts or bruises, or internal pain, such as stomach or sinus pain. He will be in charge of the first aid kit, as well as maintaining the food supply. Colca Condor 2008. Biography: Peter graduated Bergenfield High School as valedictorian and has continued his studies at New York University as a pre-health student. He is currently a student member of the prestigious Explorers Club. In 2006 Peter took part in a trip to the bottom of the Colca Canyon, therefore having prior knowledge of the area. His leisure time interests include music, snowboarding, scuba diving, mountain climbing, and traveling. [ ] EQUIPMENT SAFETY TECHNICIAN – Michael MAJCHERCZYK SM’08 (19) E/P Responsibility: Michael is responsible for all equipment and food supplies for the expedition. His responsibilities include rationing food properly and constantly checking expedition equipment as well as each team member’s equipment. Biography: Michael has completed his first year of studies at Montclair State University in NJ. He is a student member of the Explorers Club as well. Michael has been to many parts of the world, including Europe, North America, and South America. Besides traveling, Michael spends time playing instruments (guitar, drums), scuba diving, snowboarding, and mountain climbing. [ ] SUPPORTING TEAM MOUNTAIN CLIMBING SPECIALIST – Piotr NAWROT Ph.D. (56y) E/P Responsibility: Piotr, as an experienced mountain climber, will be in charge of securing our descent into the canyon by placing anchors and planning out such logistics. He will be responsible for our safety and will also be noting and exploring the edges and walls of the canyon. Biography: A lifelong love of water sports drew him to become a Dive Master (PADI) and sailing instructor. As a mountaineering instructor, he climbed the Tatra Mountains and the French Alps surrounding Mont Blanc, where he made several winter summits. In 1976 he took part in a student expedition in Karakorum and the Himalayas. He currently works in the Institute of Marine & Coastal Sciences Rutgers University in NJ, as a Senior Marine Scientist with a PhD title. He also writes articles concerning history and anthropology. [ ] EXPEDITION CORRESPONDENT – Roman CZEJAREK (43y) P/E/G Responsibility: Roman is a correspondent for radio VOX FM, which is an official media sponsor of our expedition in Poland. He is also our speaker for Polish and Polish-American Media. Colca Condor 2008. Biography: Roman is a well known radio personality in Poland. He is the author of many awarded radio and television programs. For 16 years he directed a very popular Polish Radio program “Lato z Radiem” (summer with radio). For many years he hosted a morning program in Polish TV1. Roman is now working for Time, the largest radio group in Poland, which includes: Radio Eska, Radio Eska Rock, Radio VOX FM, Radio WaWa. Czejarek is also a renowned writer (author of 4 books) and reporter for main newspapers in Poland, such as: „Rzeczpospolita”, „Gazeta Wyborcza”, „Polityka”, and „Super Express”. His hobbies include traveling to locations that have not yet been well-documented. [ ] COLCA CONDOR 2009 EXPEDITION MEMBERS - 3 – LOCAL MEDIA – Paul NAVARRO (36y) E/S Responsibility: Paul, being a well known journalist with much experience, is responsible for media coverage and relations in Peru. He organizes press conferences and communicates expedition progress to the press. Colca Condor 2008 Biography: Paul was born in Arequipa where he studied journalism at the Catholic University of Santa Maria. From 2000 to 2008 he lives in the United States where he studies English in Passaic County Community College and was a local correspondent for Spanish newspapers in USA. He is an experienced scuba diver and loves outdoor activities. [ ] LOGISTICS & TRANSPORT – Abdul HUAMANI (45y) S/Q Responsibility: Abdul, being born and raised by the Colca River, will be taking care of expedition transportation especially for the supporting members. His tasks will also include coordinating the logistics of the expedition from the outskirts of the canyon. Colca Condor 2008 Biography: Abdul was born in Huambo, where he also spent most of his life. He served two terms as mayor of Huambo. Abdul has also coordinated the organization of many trips, including the 25th anniversary trip to the Colca Canyon bottom in Canco where a record 34 tourists traveled there at once. Abdul is a competitive driver that knows the southern side of the Colca Canyon like the back of his hand. [ ] LOGISTICS & SAFETY – Eloy CACYA (38y) S/Q Responsibility: Eloy, born and raised right next to the Colca Canyon, will be working to ensure the safety of the expedition from the edge of the canyon.